You polished up your resume, drafted a tailored cover letter, and submitted all of the necessary application materials.

Everything you need to do in order to be considered is done. But, you’re also eager to find a way to make a more personal connection—to go beyond the anonymity of the hiring process and put a face with your name.

One of the best ways to do this? By reaching out to the hiring manager with a friendly, professional, and completely un-pushy message.

Did that very thought just make your palms clammy? We know—putting yourself out there during your job search can be intimidating. Despite the fact that you work in sales, it’s still tough to sell yourself.

So, let’s dive in!

But First… A Word Of Caution

Reaching out to make a personal connection with somebody at the company can be a smart move.

However, it should never serve as a replacement for going through the application process that the employer has outlined.

For that reason, it’s wise not to reach out to the hiring manager about a specific role until after you’ve followed their instructions for officially tossing your hat into the ring.

Ignoring the steps that they’ve mapped out and instead opting to get in touch with a general, “I’m very interested in this position—please consider me!” message will only make you seem lazy and disrespectful.

So, make sure to heed the directions for applying (seriously, every last one) and then consider reaching out to the hiring manager as a secondary step to elevate your candidacy.

It’s great to be proactive about forging relationships—but, that doesn’t mean you can skip important steps and make up your own rules.

How to Find Hiring Managers

With that disclaimer out of the way, how do you find the hiring manager for a specific role? There are a couple of different tactics you can implement to zone in on the right person to contact.

1. Search the Company Website

Depending on the size of the company, you might be able to identify the appropriate point of contact directly on the website.

Click through to the “About Us” or “Team” pages and see if the company lists team members individually. If so? Look for someone that has a job title that relates to hiring, recruitment, talent management, or human resources.

2. Leverage LinkedIn

From the LinkedIn homepage, begin by typing the name of the company you’re applying to in the search bar. If that employer has a LinkedIn profile, you should see it pop up within your search results.

Once you’re on that company’s LinkedIn page, you’ll see a link that says “See All Employees on LinkedIn.” Click that, and you’ll be brought to a page that displays the LinkedIn profiles of that specific company’s employees.

For this example, we’re looking at the LinkedIn profile of Google—which means there are thousands of employees. If the company you’re applying to isn’t nearly as large, you’ll have a much easier time zoning in on the appropriate contact.

But, if not? Use the filters to help you narrow your results. Click the “Filters” button and then type in a keyword (i.e. “talent” or “hiring”) to see only people who have that term in their job title.

How to Contact Hiring Managers

You’ve found the person that you want to contact. Now, there’s another big question hanging over your head: What do you say? What sort of message is polished and professional—without seeming pushy?

After you’ve submitted your application, your best bet is to send a connection request (along with a personalized message) via LinkedIn.

Why is LinkedIn better than email? Well, for starters, it’s a social network—meaning it’s a far more casual and low-pressure way to reach out.

Secondly, because it’s a social platform, it makes for an incredibly easy way to stay in touch. A simple “like” or “comment” on that contact’s activity will keep you at the forefront of his or her mind—without having to send formal or purposeful emails in order to do so.

When you do send a personalized connection request, keep things short (you’ll have limited characters anyway) and somewhat general. Remember, this isn’t your opportunity to get into a lengthy discussion about the role. Instead, your goal is just to make an introduction and demonstrate your interest in the position.

This means that your messages should hit on three key things:

Your name

The position you just applied for

Your enthusiasm for finding out more about the role

With that in mind, your finished message could look something like this:

Hello Susan,

My name is Kat, and I just applied for the Sales Director position with Dunder Mifflin. I know my skills are a great match for what you’re searching for, and I’m really looking forward to finding out more about the opportunity.

In the meantime, I’d love to keep in touch on LinkedIn!

Best,

Kat

This message is friendly and concise. But, perhaps most importantly, it doesn’t make an ask. It doesn’t beg for an interview. It doesn’t ask about the hiring timeline. There’s no action that the recipient needs to take other than to accept your request.

That’s important. Much like when prospecting, the more straightforward (and less desperate) your message is, the higher the likelihood the hiring manager will accept your connection request and perhaps even respond.

When that happens you have a foot in the door and a somewhat personal connection with that company—which can help you stand out from the competition and land an interview.

Over to You

Getting in touch with a hiring manager about a specific role can be a smart move to help you make an impact after you’ve submitted your application. After all, being able to put a face with your name (and your impressive experience) will make you all the more memorable for employers.

However, there’s no denying that step can still be nerve-wracking.

If you want to skip it altogether? Create a profile on Rainmakers. You can share your history, showcase your skills, and have interested employers directly contact you—rather than the other way around.

Does that sound way too good to be true? We promise it’s not. Apply now to get accepted and setup your own profile.